Taylor Swift: 'I had to take a stand against the man who groped me'

06 December 2017

Newsdesk

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Taylor Swift felt compelled to report a radio DJ who groped her during a backstage meeting, because she was sure she wouldn't be his last victim.

The Shake It Off hitmaker was awarded a symbolic $1 (£0.75) in August (17) when a jury ruled that radio host David Mueller had assaulted her during a 2013 meet-and-greet before a concert in Denver, Colorado.

Taylor was adamant about not accepting blame for what happened to her and knew it was important to tell her story, despite the negative criticism she received during the trial, because she didn't want another young, vulnerable star to go through the same experience.

"At the time, I was headlining a major arena tour and there were a number of people in the room that saw this, plus a photo of it happening," she tells Time magazine. "I figured that if he would be brazen enough to assault me under these risky circumstances and high stakes, imagine what he might do to a vulnerable, young artist if given the chance.

"It was important to report the incident to his radio station because I felt like they needed to know. The radio station conducted its own investigation and fired him. Two years later, he sued me."

Swift was applauded for her straight-forward testimony during the trial, but she admits it took a toll on her and her family.

"When I testified, I had already been in court all week and had to watch this man's attorney bully, badger and harass my team, including my mother, over inane details and ridiculous minutiae, accusing them, and me, of lying," she adds. "My mom was so upset after her cross-examination, she was physically too ill to come to court the day I was on the stand. I was angry.

"In that moment, I decided to forego any courtroom formalities and just answer the questions the way it happened. This man hadn't considered any formalities when he assaulted me, and his lawyer didn't hold back on my mom. Why should I be polite...?"

However, Swift is grateful for the support she received after the trial, especially from her famous friends, including Kesha, who is currently locked in a bitter court battle with Dr. Luke, the producer she has accused of sexually abusing and bullying her.

"Once it hit the news that I was in Denver dealing with this, there was an outpouring of support on social media and I have never appreciated it more," Swift says. "I spoke to Kesha on the phone and it really helped to talk to someone who had been through the demoralising court process."